We'll probably never colonize Mars or deep space - and here's why - Think Atheist2015-08-02T23:32:20Zhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/we-ll-probably-never-colonize-mars-or-deep-space-and-here-s-why?commentId=1982180%3AComment%3A1167861&feed=yes&xn_auth=noWhy wait? Maybe we could just…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11688672012-08-16T12:49:17.546ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>Why wait? Maybe we could just capture Darth Vader's Death Star in a tractor beam to bring it to Mars. Assuming Scotty couldn't beam it from wherever it is to Mars, of course.</p>
<p>Why wait? Maybe we could just capture Darth Vader's Death Star in a tractor beam to bring it to Mars. Assuming Scotty couldn't beam it from wherever it is to Mars, of course.</p> In the movie 'Contact', one c…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11690182012-08-16T06:59:46.330ZJames Coxhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/JamesCox
<p>In the movie 'Contact', one character tries to make the case that the '..best astronomers would be vampires!' Surely there must be folks that would see a permanent post on Mars as a great improvement over our common fair of crime, wars, politics, movie remakes, and 'reality shows'.</p>
<p>If it were not such a terrible investment to get there, I would pay $1.00 to see some CEO's abandoned on such a quiet piece of real estate. I think I can see the closing credits as the small speck of Earth,…</p>
<p>In the movie 'Contact', one character tries to make the case that the '..best astronomers would be vampires!' Surely there must be folks that would see a permanent post on Mars as a great improvement over our common fair of crime, wars, politics, movie remakes, and 'reality shows'.</p>
<p>If it were not such a terrible investment to get there, I would pay $1.00 to see some CEO's abandoned on such a quiet piece of real estate. I think I can see the closing credits as the small speck of Earth, sets on the Mars horizon, and the line of sight microwave transmission signs off, to be replaced with white noise from the solar wind.</p>
<p> </p> @Becca - I couldn't agree mor…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11689382012-08-16T04:15:18.153Zarchaeopteryxhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/xn/detail/u_2gskiyna07rt3
<p>@Becca - I couldn't agree more - as I said earlier, the goal isn't in getting there, it's in the going. The technology that came out of the moon landing, represents a billion-dollar industry here on earth today. Those few pounds of moon rocks were not our only reward for the journey.</p>
<p>@Becca - I couldn't agree more - as I said earlier, the goal isn't in getting there, it's in the going. The technology that came out of the moon landing, represents a billion-dollar industry here on earth today. Those few pounds of moon rocks were not our only reward for the journey.</p> Should my wife write a letter…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11689372012-08-16T03:53:23.988ZJames Coxhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/JamesCox
<p>Should my wife write a letter to NASA asking if they need someone to photoshop out the 'Mars' weeds, jack rabbits, and contrails? There is a distinct feeling that a future in state propaganda could be a growth industry...LOL</p>
<p>Should my wife write a letter to NASA asking if they need someone to photoshop out the 'Mars' weeds, jack rabbits, and contrails? There is a distinct feeling that a future in state propaganda could be a growth industry...LOL</p> RE: "We have no need to have…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11689972012-08-16T03:36:14.488Zarchaeopteryxhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/xn/detail/u_2gskiyna07rt3
<p>RE: "We have no need to have humans go to mars."</p>
<p>Humans, no, but can't we send Unseen?</p>
<p>RE: "We have no need to have humans go to mars."</p>
<p>Humans, no, but can't we send Unseen?</p> There's already tons of money…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11688362012-08-16T03:31:08.015ZBeccahttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/alistarz
<p>There's already tons of money being spent on researching cancer and diabetes and thousands of other things that make us ill. There is already tons of money being spent on developing more efficient technologies. We already throw money at the poor and starving of our world and have found money isn't the magical solution to this ongoing problem. In fact money isn't the solution to any of our problems, often it's an obstacle.</p>
<p>We already sent people to the moon; we still send people into…</p>
<p>There's already tons of money being spent on researching cancer and diabetes and thousands of other things that make us ill. There is already tons of money being spent on developing more efficient technologies. We already throw money at the poor and starving of our world and have found money isn't the magical solution to this ongoing problem. In fact money isn't the solution to any of our problems, often it's an obstacle.</p>
<p>We already sent people to the moon; we still send people into space; the basics behind the technology for a longer range manned mission is there. All we need are some people with the will and enough people willing to back it. I think with a population of 7 billion there is bound to be people who are willing to contribute in such an endeavor. In the end it isn't typically the destination that is the most important, it's the journey and just think of all the things we could learn from this sort of journey.</p> I think it's clear we're goin…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11687712012-08-16T03:11:58.371ZUnseenhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Unseen
<p>I think it's clear we're going to continue to get photos showing that Mars looks like the desert Southwest. And it has ice. Wow. If we start running out of water here on Earth, we know where to go.</p>
<p>That money could have been spent to do research to end cancer or diabetes or to develop a more efficient battery-powered automobile. It could be used to feed potbellied starving children in African or Middle Eastern refugee camps.</p>
<p>Otherwise, it's probably a dead end. Except if you…</p>
<p>I think it's clear we're going to continue to get photos showing that Mars looks like the desert Southwest. And it has ice. Wow. If we start running out of water here on Earth, we know where to go.</p>
<p>That money could have been spent to do research to end cancer or diabetes or to develop a more efficient battery-powered automobile. It could be used to feed potbellied starving children in African or Middle Eastern refugee camps.</p>
<p>Otherwise, it's probably a dead end. Except if you like desert photography.</p> If our history has shown us a…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11688302012-08-16T03:11:09.732ZBeccahttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/alistarz
<p>If our history has shown us anything we humans are not content in staying put for very long. I think we will be in space sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>If our history has shown us anything we humans are not content in staying put for very long. I think we will be in space sooner rather than later.</p> Oh dude I figured this one ou…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-16:1982180:Comment:11687472012-08-16T00:00:46.063ZCharles Bondhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/CharlesBond
<p>Oh dude I figured this one out a while ago, this is on my mad scientist to do list. The earth's core is able to produce the protective electromagnetic field partly because of the significant amount of friction caused by our relatively big moon's gravity. Mars' core on the other hand did not have the benefit of one big moon, so that and its low mass led to the cooling of it's core, the weakening of it's electromagnetic field, and the eradication of its atmosphere. What if we someday developed…</p>
<p>Oh dude I figured this one out a while ago, this is on my mad scientist to do list. The earth's core is able to produce the protective electromagnetic field partly because of the significant amount of friction caused by our relatively big moon's gravity. Mars' core on the other hand did not have the benefit of one big moon, so that and its low mass led to the cooling of it's core, the weakening of it's electromagnetic field, and the eradication of its atmosphere. What if we someday developed the technology to give Mars a big moon, maybe move Ceres into orbit around it, slowly add the entire masses of Mars' other two small moons to Ceres, and as a bonus water ice on Ceres could be shipped to the Martian surface to be used by colonists on the planet with a magnetic field and atmosphere!!! As for long term settlements, we could engineer people and biospheres adapted for life on Mars. It won't be in my lifetime, but it could happen.</p> We must tap renewable forms o…tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-15:1982180:Comment:11687942012-08-15T15:46:43.177ZMichaelhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/Michael456
<p>We must tap renewable forms of energy and also nuclear. There are safer nuclear plants that are currently being develop. For instances a class of liquid metal reactor would never melt down. The fuel is already liquid.</p>
<p>We must tap renewable forms of energy and also nuclear. There are safer nuclear plants that are currently being develop. For instances a class of liquid metal reactor would never melt down. The fuel is already liquid.</p>